Consider this perfectly plausible scenario:
X is super fit. Loves to push herself. Triathlete. blah blah. X falls 10 ft during one of her rock climbing adventures and broke her back.
A fat slob who never even jogged in her life could think, "why do I have to foot the bill for these nut-cases?".

It's called risk. A fit active person has a much lower chance of needing medical care than a fat slob who never jogged in his life. How much money do we spend spend treating lazy fat asses vs fit people? Someone fit and healthy needing major medical care is bad luck, i.e. the perfect reason for insurance, someone who is 300lb with a diet of McD's and Pepsi needing major medical care is cause and effect.

Now we are into the realm of probabilities. We need concrete numbers (rather than handwaving with examples of 300lb people with a diet of McDs and coke) to proceed. And a mathematician would argue that frequency estimation from a sample involves making an assumption about the probability distribution of the underlying phenomenon. It gets trickier.

Therefore, I remain content to simply point out plausible alternatives to "absolutely damning" statements. It is an entertaining exercise.

Now we are into the realm of probabilities. We need concrete numbers (rather than handwaving with examples of 300lb people with a diet of McDs and coke) to proceed. And a mathematician would argue that frequency estimation from a sample involves making an assumption about the probability distribution of the underlying phenomenon. It gets trickier.

Therefore, I remain content to simply point out plausible alternatives to "absolutely damning" statements. It is an entertaining exercise.

Seriously? I've never been to Asia, is that really a normal occurrence there?

Brutally so, all over Asia.

First, this is a difficult concept to explain to people who haven't lived in Asia. Inevitably people end up applying Western values with a confident "oh that must be sooo horrible, those poooor savages need to become enlightened, like us".

In my observation however, it works. People are healthier, and results are results.

Korea - The ideal female weight is 99-105lb. If you are 120lb you are cubby. If you 130lb you are officially fat! Obese people don't really exist in Seoul. No excuses for "big boned" or height are accepted. The rule is the rule and you are not allowed to consider yourself an exception.

This rule is socially enforced. Mothers tell their daughters their husband will leave if they get fat (happened to my wife). You won't get hired if you are fat, except by an American company. Last month the only fat girl in the gym was doing Pilates and a group of skinning girls walked by and pointed with their hand to mouth "oh my", right to her face thru the glass! People will tell you to your face "you are fat", including complete strangers on the street or subway. It happens.

The result? There really aren't obese people in Seoul. It's the healthiest major city in the developed world, that's I've been, and I've been to a lot. The social disgrace of being visibly unhealthy is just too great.

China - the WSJ wrote a fun article many years ago:

"The fact is that Chinese parents can do things that would seem unimaginable—even legally actionable—to Westerners. Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, "Hey fatty—lose some weight." By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue, talking in terms of "health" and never ever mentioning the f-word, and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self-image"

Same here to an extent. There's a high % of Asian cultures among the expat population, and it just doesn't seem to be deemed as rude to comment on people's appearances - the best example I can think of being an enquiry from a colleague from the Philippines as to what I was doing to make my stomach flatter, shortly followed by a comment that it was good I'd done so because "you were very fat before." Not incorrect, but not usually something that I'd expect a work colleague to be so direct about!

We also have an office in Hong Kong, and I don't even bother going into the clothes shops when I'm over there as from past experience I will be greeted either with the statement that they have NOTHING which will fit me, or asked very loudly if I would like an EXTRA LARGE. I'm currently a UK 10-12 (US6 -8). It's just a different culture with different norms.

Now we are into the realm of probabilities. We need concrete numbers (rather than handwaving with examples of 300lb people with a diet of McDs and coke) to proceed. And a mathematician would argue that frequency estimation from a sample involves making an assumption about the probability distribution of the underlying phenomenon. It gets trickier.

Therefore, I remain content to simply point out plausible alternatives to "absolutely damning" statements. It is an entertaining exercise.

. It isn't. For every 1 fit and active person in america who gets a sports injury, I would imagine there are 50,000 slobs out there. What's the obesity rate in America now? 35%. And what % of healthy active americans are falling off of rock walls? A fraction of a percent